Rescue of the Month: The Okinawa Trio

Three cat siblings travel 8,000 miles to find their forever home.

Born in 2009, the trio of Pikachu, Miyagi and Kimiko caught the attention of an American Marine who was stationed in Okinawa, Japan. The Marine, who wishes to remain anonymous, discovered the kittens living on the roof of a gas station near his apartment. He quickly became attached to them and was crushed when his housing agency ordered him to stop caring for the cats.

The Marine contacted Hideko Miyahira, co-founder and former president of the Okinawa American Animal Rescue Society, for help. He donated $1,000 to provide for the cats’ basic needs, and OAARS volunteers set the kittens up in a makeshift shelter.

Unfortunately, this solution proved to be only temporary, as the rescuers learned the shelter was scheduled to be demolished, and the trio of cats would then be euthanized. Time was short, and the rescuers were desperate to find help. They found it from a cat sanctuary more than half a world away.

**Get the November 2011 issue of CAT FANCY to read the full article or click here to purchase a PDF version.**